2 climbers die in accident on Switzerland’s Matterhorn

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BERLIN (AP) — Swiss police say two climbers have died in an accident on the upper reaches of the famed Matterhorn mountain.

Police in Valais canton (state) said Thursday that the two men, one of them a mountain guide, were hit by a falling rock and fell. The accident happened on Wednesday morning at around 4,250 meters (13,950 feet) above sea level and the bodies were recovered from a spot around 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) altitude on Wednesday evening.

Authorities were in the process of formally identifying the victims. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the rock fall.

The Matterhorn, whose peak is 4,478 meters (14,692 feet) above sea level, is one of the highest and most famous peaks in the Alps. It straddles the border between Switzerland and Italy.

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